


Slide

by cloudnymphs



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, Suspense, Takes place like 25 years after DSOD, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudnymphs/pseuds/cloudnymphs
Summary: Twenty five years ago, Joey swore his heart off after his then fiance—Seto Kaiba—cheated on him.  Now years later, Joey is contempt with his life of solitude until he meets a mysterious young man with the same haunting blue eyes that broke his heart years ago.OrAfter Kaiba cheated on him, Joey swore off love. Twenty five years later, that all changes when he meets Seto Kaiba’s son, who is both like and unlike his father in many ways.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto, Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Original Character(s), Kaiba Seto/Kisara
Comments: 16
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I’m taking a hiatus from the fandom for many reasons but I have had this idea in my head for months now and I just wanna write it down. There is gonna be so much room for drama lol.

Though the years had done Joey a raw hand, he was thankful that for the most part, he retained his youthful expression.

He wasn’t that old, no matter how many times Serenity tried to make those tasteless jabs at him. A few grey hairs only from stress, and dark circles here and there—Joey still retained that burning fire in his eyes no matter what he’d gone through.

That day in particular, as he gazed at his expression in the mirror of the airport bathroom, he felt a strange twinge in his heart. There was an unfamiliar sense of nostalgia as if an itch from his past was coming back to bite him.

Half of that could’ve been due to the fact that he was back here in Domino, over twenty years after he’d left. For the life of him, Joey hated this place—it held more painful memories than good. While he’d never forget the life he had with his friends, the adventures they went on that served as an escape from his reality—they were just that, an escape.

And some things that had happened, Joey had trouble remembering, if half of it was real or not.

Yet the reason for him coming here was very real. A painful reminder of reality; a tragedy strong enough to bring him from his home in America to Japan. Joey had to remember that things he loved could so easily be taken from him, just as they’d been in the past.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Joey took his phone from his pocket and gazed at a recent notification.

“ _Reservation Cancellation_

_Mr. Jounouchi, we apologize for the inconvenience regarding your reservation. We regret to inform you that we have canceled your reservation. We attempted to reach out to you as you missed your check in time, and your room has already been given to another family._

_We apologize.”_

Joey nearly threw his phone.

It was things like this—fate playing a trick on him as if to punish him for his distance from Domino—that made him hate this place even more. He was aware that his plane was delayed, but he couldn’t predict it would be a _five_ hour delay. In addition, there was no way he could contact the hotel while in the air.

Regardless—what did it matter now?

Here he was in Domino, in the city he hated with no place to stay.

Joey could almost cry. He had a schedule to adhere to the next following days, and this hotel mishap put a wedge on everything. Quickly, he went straight to searching for more options yet not to his surprise, most hotels around the area were booked.

He continued to walk, his nose buried in his phone when he heard the laughter of a group of people not to far away. He looked up from his device for a second to see an entourage of people come from one of the gates near by his. They were a young men, all dressed in suits laughing and talking rather loudly—loud enough for Joey to hear from across the crowded airport.

Regaining his sense of focus, Joey’s eyes returned to his phone as he attempted to sort out his hotel mishaps. It was such a late hour, so many hotels were already filled to capacity—if anything Joey would probably have to sleep here at the airport--

“Sorry!” The apology, in Japanese, only came after Joey collided with someone; his phone falling to the floor and a hot coffee colliding with his shirt.

Joey wanted to curse; another damned thing to complain about and not a washer machine around to clean his shirt. He looked up, ready to give whoever this was a tongue lashing yet stopped suddenly.

“Ahh—you’re American, or European, sorry!” The man responded again, in English as if he’d been raised in the states.

Joey paused, his hazel eyes meeting the blue orbs of this considerably taller man. If he was twenty years younger, he’d probably be blushing now. He was after all, everything teenage and young adult Joey found attractive. Tall, piercing blue eyes, white hair and an appealing face. Though, as inviting as his appearance was, there was something off about him, almost familiar. Joey couldn’t point it out—he had had nothing but poor experiences with tall blue eyed men in the past and more than likely, he was still dealing with some unchecked trauma.

Yet, this boy with his shaggy hair and welcoming smile seemed like trouble and Joey just didn’t know why.

“My dad was American, my mom’s Japanese...I’m a bit of both? And you?” Joey, instead of arguing decided to make conversation. If he was younger he probably would’ve given this kid and earful, he was rather tired now.

“Born here in Domino, moved to American when I was four with my uncle. I came back and forth to stay with my mom and dad, and my siblings, but my parents and I don’t get along so...yeah.” He shrugged, bending down to hand Joey his phone. He stared at it for a while, no doubt looking at the content.

“Hotel trouble?”

“More or less.” As kindly as he possibly could, Joey snatched the phone from him and stuffed it back in his pocket, emitting a loud sigh as he gazed at his shirt. “Well this is a mess.”

“Look...Mister um--”

“Jounouchi.” Joey stammered quickly.

“Let me at least buy you a new shirt—look there are some shops over there?” He motioned toward the various vendor shops common at airports much to Joey’s annoyance. “You can change in the bathroom or something.”

“I have some clothes in my suitcase.” Joey responded quietly, trying to cut his time short with this youthful, excited man. “Thanks—I actually need to get my luggage now--”

“Please, I screwed up. It’s a policy of mine to fix things I ruin. Please let me help you Mr. Jounouchi.” There was a look of desperation in his eyes, yet also a slight hint of anger. As if this ‘policy’ of his was much more than he made it out to be. Joey sensed some childhood trauma—probably with his father, that he didn’t want to attempt to combat.

“Fine. You’re not gonna leave me alone unless I say yes, right?”

“Right!”

OoOoOoOoO

Joey was not at all surprised when this young man brought him to one of the more well to do stores. He was dressed nice, in a fitted suit with shoes that were probably worth more than the whole out itself. So of course this white haired man was wealthy.

The cost of some of the shirts, were more than Joey’s bank account amounted to in five years. That said, he almost gasped when the young man pulled one of the more expensive shirts from the clothing rack.

“This looks like it fits you—right?” It was a T- shirt, that was way to bland to cost as much as it did, yet not wanting to start any type of unneeded conversation Joey nodded.

“Alright—let’s head to check out.” The exchange was quick, he paid with a platinum clad debit card and gave the cashier a quick smile. After that, he and Joey exited the little shop with the young man handing Joey the bag.

“Thanks kid—um, what’s your name by the way?”

“Kaito.” He chuckled. “25 and I’m still being called a kid, guess that’s one thing that’ll never change.”

Joey shrugged. “Well thank you—it means a lot to me. Look Kaito, I’ve gotta go to baggage claim—it was nice meetin’ ya--”

“Need a ride to your hotel?” Kaito asked sincerely. “My car is just outside.”

“Truth is, I’ve got no where to go. I’m probably gonna stay here for the night. My hotel reservation was canceled so, I’m good. Thanks though--” Joey stopped for two reasons. One, he was oversharing and two—Kaito knew he was having hotel difficulties, so why would he ask?

“You can stay with me for the night at my place. Not sure what you’re here for but if you need a place to stay then my house is an option. Free of charge!”

This was the part where Joey should’ve either run or mouthed him off. Any normal person would recognize how creepy this behavior was. Sure Kaito was nice, but he’d just met Joey and was offering to let him stay at his house—after buying a shirt that cost an ungodly amount of money. Joey wanted to say no, he wanted to put some distance between he and Kaito but again, that air of familiarity returned. His soft blue eyes were inviting, almost intoxicating to the point where it was difficult to say no.

“Sure—fine...Just a night and I’ll be gone by the morning to do what I need’a do.” Joey confessed. After all, he only needed to be in Domino for a couple of days. And by the morning he’d be able to find a hotel.

“Alright—let’s go, to baggage claim.”

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was no surprise that Kaito’s car was nice, yet the house was even nicer.

Joey had concluded that this boy was either wealthy on his own accord, had gotten some help from mom and dad, or was into illegal activity. Regardless, Joey couldn’t complain about staying here—it was nicer than any hotel he could of imagined.

And of course, his opinion could’ve been altered due to the fact that it was raining outside, making this strange man’s home seem more inviting than it actually was.

“Guest rooms upstairs to the left.” Kaito peered from the door behind Joey, a smile on his face. “I’ve got your luggage.”

“Thanks.” Joey responded.

“Also, if you’re hungry I can order food—I’m not much of a cook unfortunately.” He laughed, shutting the front door as he held Joey’s suitcase in his free hand. “Anything on your mind?”

“It’s whatever.” Joey responded, though he was hungry, he was still a bit put off by this man’s attitude. Kaito chuckled and allowed Joey to change before he eventually came back downstairs primarily to keep an eye on Kaito as he did not trust him.

When he made way back down the stairs, he saw Kaito in the living room.

His blue eyes lit up when he saw Joey, and he motioned toward the phone currently held in his hand to signify he was ordering food. Joey smiled and took a seat on the sofa until Kaito had finished, and keeping a respectable distance, Kaito joined him.

  
“So—a rich boy?” Joey inferred, feeling a bit more comfortable. “I met a few of those here, in Domino.”

He chuckled. “With the economy booming here it isn’t a surprise. But guilty as charged, I am a ‘rich boy’, hope I’m not like any of the ones you’ve met. I can tell by your expression you didn’t have a good history with them.”

Joey shrugged. “Was bullied by one, engaged to the same one years later, turned out the fucker was cheating on me ‘da whole time. Can’t say I have a soft spot in my heart for ‘em. But you’re nice, so I can let it slide.”

Kaito chuckled. “If it makes anything better, I know how you feel to an extent. I’ve always had money but I haven’t been a fan of the ‘rich crowd’. My father is a wealthy, cut throat CEO. My mother...well let’s just say she had some inherited wealth as well. I never really got along with them, didn’t really know why they were together when there wasn’t really any love and I don’t think they were ready to have me. Like I said I moved to America with my uncle—and I went back and forth to Japan for legalities. My dad and I have never seen eye to eye...he’s just a shitty person, you know? I don’t like how he treats people and my mom kind of sits by and does nothing. Anyway, the wealth I have isn’t from my father—I may have come from a wealthy family but I disconnected from them when my uncle got legal custody.” He took a deep breath, just to make sure Joey was listening and went on. “I’m a CEO of my uncle’s company—and I manage it now so he can go off and do what he wants to do.”

Joey nodded. While he didn’t have too much pity for a rich boy, he did sympathize with him. Having awful fathers was rough.

“Sorry ‘boutyour dad—I know how it feels to have a shitty dad and mom. My mom left me with my abusive father, and I haven’t spoken to her sense. Dad kicked the bucket years ago...but I hated him ever since. Heard he died in a bar accident, which his what he deserved.” Joey frowned. “I legally had my last name changed...both to start over but also, because I hated my dad’s guts. Jounouchi was my grandmother’s maiden’s name, from my mom’s side. My grandma was the only relative I was close to aside from my sister. My dad’s last name was Wheeler….” He shrugged.

There was an awkward silence, and Joey had feared he’d overshared. It was good to finally tell someone his story, yet a stranger? He felt he’d made it unbearable in that small space, and was half tempted to go back up stairs.

“I don’t blame you—if I could start over, with a new name, life...I would.” He smiled at Joey. “Even if I try to get out of my father’s shadow, I can’t. The reason I’m here in Domino isn’t because I actually want to be. I’m hosting a business meeting on behalf of a trustee with some of our colleagues. The colleague who proposed the meeting is close to my father, so he will be here at the meeting. And I have to see him again tomorrow.”

Joey frowned. “Sorry man….hopefully I didn’t stress you out more.”

“No, you were honestly a welcomed guest. I hate Domino, and coming here brings back bad memories. It was nice to meet someone who feels the same.” He gave Joey a smirk, and again, that warmth of familiarity boiled in his stomach. Joey wanted to reply but was cut short when there was a heavy knock on the door.

“Ahh—our food is here. I’ll get it.”

With Kaito’s absence, Joey felt he could breathe yet at the same time felt himself yearning for the young man to come back. It was nice, after all these years of being alone, to have someone understand his anger.

Perhaps, this Kaito kid wasn’t as bad as he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T-T sorry for the lack of update. It's been very VERY busy with everything going on and I've kind of taken a break from the fandom social media wise. But i'm going to try to update this consistently. Because of my lack of updates, i tried to make this chapter long.

It was strange at first, waking to the sun shining on his face. 

When he’d felt the warmth of the rays caressing his eyelids, and then gazed at the clock that read, “9:30am”, he was genuinely confused. Prior to this, Joey had been no stranger to nightmares and restless sleeps. Dreams of the past seemed to haunt him, keeping him awake through the long hours of the night.

It was very strange--almost uncomfortable for him to sleep so soundly through the night when he had, for years, been subjected to nothing but tumultuous terrors. Part of him wondered if the universe had something in store--if something awful would happen and his good sleep was simply a way of lessening the blow.

Pushing that thought aside for a moment, Joey stood, stretched and headed to the bathroom. As he readied himself for the day, memories of the previous night began to fill his mind. He remembered them eating and then Kaito excusing himself for the night. He had to prepare for his meeting the next day. Joey could understand that to an extent, but their dinner had ended abruptly after a phone call and Kaito had seemed--distressed.

That wasn’t the case now however, as when Joey arrived downstairs (after getting lost just a bit) he did indeed see Kaito sitting downstairs on his phone. He heard Joey approaching and placed his device down--smiling.

“Did you have a nice sleep?”

The question caught Joey off guard, but he nodded with a gentle smile.

“Yeah, it’s actually been a while since I’ve been able to sleep like that, ‘ya know?” There was a couch adjacent to Kaito and Joey sat. He took a breath, as his itinerary ran through his mind.

“Got a busy schedule?” Kaito asked quietly.

“Yeah--I won’t bore you with ‘da details--just visitin’ and old shop and the graveyard.”

Kaito rose an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.” 

“Ahh don’t be...it happens ‘ya know. And old friend of mine--my best friend actually--went missin’ a while ago, no one could find him, and we all just decided to have a makeshift memorial. The old shop I’m visitin’ was his grandpa’s game shop...it’s being destroyed next week and I wanted to see it before it went. Like, closing a chapter of my life I guess.” Joey shrugged. “After that, I can look for a hotel--I’ll be outta here tomorrow morning.”

“You could stay the night until you leave.” Kaito inclined, that overly friendly air brushing Joey. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”

It was tempting--this day was going to be stressful in general--it would bring up memories and poke at emotions that Joey would have rather stayed hidden; the last thing he wanted to worry about was finding another place to stay even if he would only be in Japan for a few more hours.

“I’ll stay.” He smiled, seeing Kaito’s hospitality more as more of friendship than a hindrance. “Besides I do have a lot to do today anyway. It’ll be nice just to come and crash ‘ya know!” 

“Yeah.” Kaito grinned, took his phone and continued to scroll through. “Hungry? I was thinking we could go out and eat and then maybe, if you wouldn’t mind me accompanying you on your errands I could.”

There was a part of Joey that wanted to do this alone. This whole day again, would be devastating to him yet, there was also another part of him that itched for a companion. He’d been lonely for so many years, and facing such an emotionally taxing task would be difficult to go about it by himself. He didn’t mind company.

“Yeah, that sounds nice!”

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

As expected, Kaito took the two of them to a rather upscale part of town.

Despite that, Joey still attempted to offer to pay yet, Kaito wouldn’t let him. There was something about him that was strange--he was kind yet assertive. It wasn’t just in the way he refused to let Joey spend a penny on him, but the way he carried himself. In the area they ate in, there were a lot of elites and other wealthy business men and women who bumped into Kaito. They all seemed to know him--all seemed to hold a great amount of respect and fear for him at the same time.

He carried himself in an unearthly way yet, Joey couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Kaito reminded him of someone he knew, but their name escaped Joey’s mind. So he followed Kaito around in both awe, and curiosity. 

They eventually finished their meal and exited the rather nice restaurant and were back in the car. Kaito’s previous shell seemed to mend and he was again, light hearted and rather calm. 

“Where to?”

“Kame Gameshop.”

There was a pause, a strange one that threw Joey off. He stole a glance at Kaito and it seemed as if his hand had gripped the steering wheel just a bit tighter.

“I know where that place is.” He said, calmly. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

Joey leaned back into the chair, eyes closed as he pondered on what was in store. Kame Game shop had been such a place of joy to him, an escape from abuse, a place of excitement, fantasy and happiness . Grandpa understood why Joey never came back after all that happened, and Yugi did as well….But Joey still hated himself for it.

He hated that he cut them all off so easily---or at least, lost contact throughout the years and now--they were gone.

When Kaito pulled up to the shop, or what was left of it, Joey felt a dry lump form in his throat. He was quick to get out of the car, and observe the tattered building, shattered windows, yet he could still see a light on up stairs. If he looked hard enough, and allowed nostalgia to take its course, he tricked himself into seeing Yugi’s spiked head, his nose in some silly game. 

“Wanna get closer?”

Kaito gazed down at him, his blue eyed expression soft and concerned.

Joey nodded, and together the two stepped over the stones and rubble. The shop was condemned, meaning no one could enter. Joey exhaled rather deeply when they made it to the door, the glass fogged yet all his memories resided only a few feet away from him.

It was then he placed his finger tips on the surface of the glass, his eyes closing as he allowed the past the flow through.. He didn’t need to enter in order to retain the feeling that had carried him through his youth. The glee, sadness, yet true sense of family may have begun in the Kame game shop, but it didn’t end there. As depressed as Joey had been for years, he was happy he came here. He wasn’t as sad as he thought he’d be, for he carried those memories with him, the memories of “friendship” everywhere he went.

Yugi, Grandpa Muto and even Atem were gone--but what they did for Joey, what they did for everyone--well that would never be forgotten.

As a cool wind breeze swept through his hair, he opened his eyes and removed his fingers from the glass. 

“This place meant a lot to me.” Joey said, turning back toward the car. “I’m sad to see it go.”

“Did someone buy it after the shop owner….” He couldn’t bring himself to say the words, not to Joey at least. He knew the subject was still sensitive.

“Yeah, someone did--and made sure that no one else could fix or repair it.” Joey’s mouth was filled with venom. 

“Who...do you know?” Kaito asked, for the first time ever, Joey detected a hint of fear in his voice yet brushed it off.

“Yeah, Seto Kaiba. And it’s his fault this place is gettin’ destroyed.”

After that, the air changed just a bit but Joey didn’t ponder on it. He was on his way back to the car with Kaito following behind him.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next destination was arguably harder for Joey. 

It wasn’t quite a graveyard, which is what Kaito expected.

No, it was a grove. A small area of grass shrouded with tall trees and various flowers. As Joey stepped out of the car, he took a deep breath and pressed forward. Kaito followed behind him, his own eyes surveying the area. The two walked for a few moments until they made it to a tree, and there sat a rock. Upon further inspection, it was a stone almost--with a name engraved in it.

_ Yugi Mutou  _

It read. 

“He disappeared one day, so we never found him, ‘ya know.” Joey spoke, quietly after a while of silence. “But he’d always come here--it was a place where he and the Ph--Atem would hang out. When Atem left...so did a part of Yugi, until he couldn’t stay anymore.” He shuddered. “You don’t know who these people are so…”

  
  


“It’s okay, I don’t mind listening.” Kaito’s voice was soft. “I’m guessing Yugi meant a lot to you.”

“He meant  _ everything  _ to me.” Joey’s voice inevitably began to tremble. There was no shame in admitting that Yugi had saved him. Not just from the bully that day, but from well...himself. Joey was going down a dangerous road. If his father wouldn’t kill him, Joey was sure he’d be responsible for his own demise. Yugi was like a rock in the middle of the storm, steadying Joey and keeping him afloat. 

He couldn’t begin to thank Yugi enough--for the adventures, the happiness, the excitement...and he knew he’d never get the chance.

That’s what hurt him the most. He had grown so distant and when Yugi truly needed him, he wasn’t there. Yet Yugi was always there for Joey, he was always there for everyone and Joey couldn’t return even the smallest favor. That thought now, as it always did, caused him to tear up and before he knew it, he was crying. His shoulders hunched, his breaths became ragged and little by little, tears streamed from his face until he held his head in his hands in shame. He expected this time to cry alone, to walk back to the car in agony yet, something touched his shoulder. 

He then suddenly remembered he was not alone, and as he turned around Kaito was standing right there. 

There wasn’t a smile on his face but an expression of understanding and more than anything comfort. He didn’t have to say anything to make Joey feel as if he cared, his calming eyes said it all.

With that, Joey could not contain himself when he stepped forward and practically ran into Kaito’s arms. It was strange at first, especially to Joey. He barely knew this man yet, he had been the kindest person to him in years. He had made him feel happy and safe, and that was something Joey hadn’t felt in a while. More so, there was something intoxicating about him--about his eyes that practically drew Joey in.

He’d felt this feeling, but he couldn’t pinpoint where.

“Are you okay?” He could hear the rumble of Kaito’s voice through his chest and stepped back, breaking the embrace. It was almost scary how much better Joey felt.

“Yeah...man...I’m sorry...let’s just…I hope that wasn’t weird I don’t know what came over me.”

“It wasn’t weird. Besides I went in for the hug first.”

Joey exhaled and nodded. He looked back at the grove on final time before following Kaito back to the car.

“Let’s go for lunch, then we can go back to the house?”

“Yeah!”

OoOoOoO

The rest of the day was calming. 

They ate and returned to the house where Joey first took a nap, and when he woke he began to pack. Part of him woke due to his own internal alarm, but the other part woke to hearing Kaito argue on the phone. Kaito naturally had a soft voice, it was calm and soothing yet now--there was something different about it. He wasn’t quite yelling but he was raising his voice--and it sounded familiar. It was cold, distant, rough and nearly raspy--it was as if he was hiding it this whole time.

He was certainly angry, angry enough for Joey to hear him through the closed door.

On another end, Joey’s phone buzzed and a message overhead read….

“What--no way!”

Due to a storm, Joey's flight was cancelled and had to be moved back two days.He groaned, taking a seat on the bed and annoyingly pressing the phone to his head. He’d have to tell Kaito; he knew he was overstaying his welcome. Joey would certainly have to get a hotel. He decided to make way downstairs and still heard the arguing from below. As he made it into the main living room, Kaito seemed to see him.

Kaito mouthed off whoever he was talking to and turned off the phone.

It was then, his whole persona changed. He smiled, his bright blue eyes welcoming and they reminded Joey of the man who had comforted him earlier that day.

“Joey--you looked concerned, what is it--”

“My flight is delayed...leavin’ in a couple of days...I--look I really don’t wanna overdue my stay.”

“No that’s fine...I’m actually leaving in a couple of days as well, you can stay until then. We can both stay until then and hopefully we’ll never have to come back here.”

Joey felt an immeasurable load leave him, but Kaito still seemed off.

“Are you alright?” Joey asked, quietly, slowly approaching Kaito.

There was a small hint of anger in his eyes, and this somewhat scared Joey. Not so much because of the anger itself, but because of who he looked like.There had been many times now, that a trick of the light or change in his tone, had made Kaito seem familiar. His mannerisms and everything were both welcoming yet red flags to Joey. A huge part of him wanted to run, but the tired and perhaps curious side to him thought otherwise.

“I’m fine--” Kaito smiled, taking a breath. “I’m just getting ready for the meeting I have tonight. That was my father--I told him I’d rather he not come but he was persistent...as always…” He shrugged. 

“Aahh I remember--that sounds boring.” Joey made an attempt at humor and surprisingly Kaito laughed.

“The worst...look the meeting will be in an hour. It’s almost dinner so, I’ll have some food brought here and hopefully it gets here before then. If not, and I happen to be in my meeting, you can go through the kitchen to avoid the conference room--just down the left right there--” He pointed to a hallway and some doors. Joey mentally wrote that down.

“If you need me, I’ll be down here preparing.”

“I’ll be upstairs, I’ll be sure to turn the volume down low so I don’t disturb you.” Joey added.

“Keep it as loud as you want--oh--” Kaito took out his phone, made a few clicks and handed it to Joey. “This should let you know when the food is here, if I’m not down here to get the door that is.” 

Kaito smiled for just a bit, keeping Joey’s gaze as he did so and the two split after. 

Joey went upstairs, hopped in the bed and turned on the television. Coincidentally his favorite movie was on so he let it play through. He could hear the door opening and closing from downstairs signifying that the meeting was going to begin. He rolled over on his side toward Kaito’s phone, realizing that the food hadn’t come yet.

Twenty minutes...thirty minutes….

_ Buzz!  _

Joey looked at the notification and there it was, food was downstairs. He popped up, quietly exited the room and headed downstairs as he was instructed. There was the conference hall, the large doors shut as he heard voices on the other side. He was quick to go to the front door, greet the deliverer and begin his journey back up stairs. It seemed like a normal chore, going through the hidden way, into the kitchen and back to the stair case yet Joey Wheeler always seemed to screw things up.

He heard yelling in the conference room as he passed, and instead of going forward, his curiosity won over and he stayed and listened, for one of the voices sounded oddly familiar.

If he wanted to leave, he had lost his chance very early on, as like clockwork, the conference doors burst open. 

First came Kaito and then….

Then came another person who looked like Kaito, almost exactly  _ like  _ Kaito but he was different. He looked young, as young as Kaito but there was something about his eyes that were older---yet just as familiar.

Familiar was an understatement, and Joey could feel his blood go cold.

This man’s hair was brown, eyes piercing and blue, and his face just as youthful as ever.

He noticed Joey first, and his mouth fell, closed and opened again. Kaito, whose identity was extremely clear to Joey now, took a breath.

“Kaiba…” Joey breathed.

“Wheeler--what the hell are you doing in  _ my  _ house--”

“Father--it’s not your house it’s mine.” Joey already knew who Kaito was. It all made sense now. The voice, the eyes, the expression--he looked like a spitting image of Kaiba just with white hair--but it still hurt to hear it confirmed. Joey was going to be sick.

“I have to go.” Joey turned around, but was stopped by one of the Kaiba’s reaching for him. It was Kaito, and his expression was sympathetic. Joey almost fell for it but rage, hurt and strangely fear took over him.

“Let me go--taking your fuckin’ food and you and your dad leave me alone!” 

Joey didn’t mean to, but as customary, rage took over him and he threw the food at both Kaiba’s. Seconds following he was out. His heart and trust broken all over again just as it was years go. Unsurprisingly, by another Kaiba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed, please comment and leave kudos! I'd love to know what you think !

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y’all enjoy. And just to make it make sense, yes that is Seto Kaiba’s son. His full name is Kaito Kaiba and of course, we’ll get to see he and Kaiba pop it off next chapter, esp since Joey is gonna be there. The Kaiba family will never leave poor Joey alone lol...


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